Lane defining apparatus for handling articles in columns

ABSTRACT

Several longitudinally extending wall means define lanes therebetween for receiving articles in orderly columns. Certain of said wall means are expandable to trap the articles in the lanes, either for purposes of braking the columns so that they are not further advanced, as by line pressure or by an underlying conveyor, or for other purposes. For example, the novel expandable wall structure permits the articles to be gripped so that they can be bodily transported either to another station in the machine, or for inversion to be drop packed upside down in an upwardly-open packing case.

United States Patent [19] Gift 1 LANE DEFINING APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ARTICLES IN COLUMNS [75] Inventor: Eugene G. Gift, Glastonbury, Conn.

[73] Assignee: Emhart Corporation, Bloomfield,

Conn.

[22] Filed: Mar. 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 337,763

[52] U.S. Cl 53/61, 53/161', 294/87 R [51] Int. Cl B65b 35/58 [58] Field of Search 53/61, 161, l43; 294/63 A,

294/87 R; 214/1 Q, 147 T [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,161,431 12/1964 Francis 294/87 R X 3,694,993 10/1972 East .;.53/6l X [111 3,834,117 Sept. 10, 1974 Primary ExaminerTravis S. McGehee Attorney, Agent, or Firm-McCormick. Paulding & Huber 57 ABSTRACT Several longitudinally extending wall means define lanes therebetween for receiving articles in orderly columns. Certain of said wall means are expandable to trap the articles inthe lanes, either for purposes of braking the columns so that they are not further ad- .vanced, as by line pressure or by an underlying conveyor, or for other purposes. For example, the novel expandable wall structure permits the articles to be gripped so that they can be bodily transported either to another station in the machine, or for inversion to be drop packed upside down in an upwardly-open packing case.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures mum PAIENTEB str 1 o 1914 SHEET 10F 2 l! lb llllrplrllllllllllf PAIENIED SEP 1 0 m4 SHEEI 2 BF 2 LANE DEFINING APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ARTICLES IN COLUMNS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the handling of articles such as glassware or plastic bottles, and deals more particularly with lane defining structure for such articles, which permits columns of these articles to be more conveniently handled.

This disclosure represents a substantial improvement to the machine shown and described in US. Pat. No. 3,702,524 issued to Johnson, et al, in November, 1972, which machine comprises a lane defining grid for inverting a slug of articles, and for holding the articles by hinged doors during such inverted motion. The disadvantages to use of such doors has been obviated by substituting a novel article-gripping structure which provides more positive control of the columns of articles being handled.

Other machines for holding articles during transfer, which may include an invert motion, are shown in US. Pat. No. 3,694,993 issued to East in October, 1972, and in US. Pat. No. 3,443,355 issued to Birrell in May, 1969. The first of these disclosures also shows a lane defining grid structure which fills with columns of articles to form a slug which is then inverted for drop packing. Suction cups are used to hold the articles in the grid structure during the invert motion. The latter patent disclosure shows a single column of articles with no lane defining grid, but with gripping means mounted on the inverting structure for holding the articles during the invert motion.

Another U.S. Pat. No. 2,643,780 issued in June, 1955 to Rowe shows a lane defining grid structure for inverting a loosely spaced slug of articles by providing inflatable boots between all of the columns of articles and inverting the entire structure about a horizontal axis oriented perpendicularly with respect to an infeed conveyor, rather than in alignment therewith as in the previously described disclosures. The concept of an inflatable boot is also shown in US Pat. No. 3,589,495 issued to Peame, et al, in June, 1971, but as in Rowe the boot is made from an elastomeric material which is subject to wear during periods of extensive use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides an improved article gripping system which securely traps one or more columns of articles in a lane defining structure, and is of particular advantage in the environment of a packaging apparatus wherein a slug of articles is inverted for drop packing in an upwardly open packing case. In its basic form the preferred embodiment involves lane defining structure with spaced wall means between which wall means columns of articles can be fed, either by line pressure or by an underlying conveyor or the like. At least every other such wall means is made up of spaced plates fabricated of a wear resistant non-elastomeric material such as sheet steel. These spaced plates are supported along their upper and lower marginal edges so that the spacing between the plates at these locations does not' vary, and an inflatable elastomeric boot between the plates is adapted to spread these plates to trap the column of articles against an opposing wall. As so arranged, this type of article handling apparatus is particularly useful in a packaging apparatus wherein articles can be dropped into an upwardly open case positioned therebelow. However, the present invention is also use ful in holding back articles on a conveyor or in any BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFTHE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of the inverted half of a lane defining grid structure which incorporates the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an invert grid type packaging machine of the type which preferably includes two such structures as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the FIG. 1 structure in its upright orientation.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

' FIG. 5 is a detailed plan view of one of the wall means used in the lane defining structure of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

" FIG. 6 is a detailed elevational view of the FIG. 5 wall means.

FIG. 7 is a detailed end view of the wall means shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. 1

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, and referring specifically to FIG. 3 thereof, three side-by-side columns of articles A, A are adapted to be fed in the herein, but it should be pointed out that when a plunger 14 of one of these lane detection devices is depressed, as by an article A engaging it is shown in the center lane in FIG. 3, a pneumatic signal is provided in the line 16. When one of the other two lane detection devices has its plungers similarly depressed, a simple pneumatic I equivalent of an AND gate provides a pneumatic signal in the line 18 and/or the line 20 to provide inputs for another AND device 22. The output from the AND de vice 22 is adapted to be fed through line 24 to a device 26 to be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, and as described in detail in the above mentioned Johnson US. Pat. No. 3,702,524 assigned to the assignee herein, a lane defining structure such as that depicted in FIG. 3 is adapted for use in a packaging apparatus which includes mechanism for inverting the grid so'that a charge, or slug of articles, can be deposited in an upwardly open packing case. FIG. 2 shows schematically such an invert grid structure as comprising two lane defining grid structures, each of which is similar to that shown in FIG. 3. These lane defining structures are arranged on opposite sides of a shaft 28, which shaft has its axis of rotation aligned with the direction of movement of the articles on the infeed conveyor. Conventional means is provided, in the form of a motor M, to rotate the double grid structure through substantially in alternate directions against the stop 31 such that a charge of articles can be case C from one grid structure while a subsequent charge of articles is being formed in the opposite lane defining grid structure.

Turning now to a more detailed description of the line defining structure depicted in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, FIG. 1 shows such a structure in its inverted configuration, the axis of rotation being indicated generally by the reference 28, and the inverted articles being indicated generallyby the broken lines A, A. These articles are held in place against the influence of gravity as a result of the fact that certain of the wall means defining the various lanes in the grid structure are expandable, and thereby serve to grasp the various articles by squeezing them from one side against the opposing wall means, which need not be expandable. For this purpose, the device 26 communicates with a source of hereinbelow, and it is also noted that the lane defining grid structure includes fixed'wall means as indicated generally at 34 and 36 which wall means may be substantially similar to the lane defining wall means shown and described in the above mentioned US. Pat. No. 3,702,524. As described in that particular'patent the lane defining structure is adjustable to accommodate charges or slugs of articles of various number, and the lane detecting devices 12, are preferably mounted on a cross member 38 which is adjustable in its position relative to the infeed end of the lane defining grid structure to accommodate predetermined numbers of articles in columns of predetermined length. So too, the wall means of the lane defining grid structure are adjustable toward and away from one another by screws such as those shown at 40, 40 in FIG. 3. In this way, a slug of articles of any desired number of size canbe ac commodated in the lane defining grid structure. The central wall means 32, 32 which are inflatable under the control of the device 26 are similarly adjustable, and the construction of these expandable wall means will now be described in greater detail.

Each of the central wall means 32, 32 is substantially similar to the other, and a typical such element of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 5 from substantially the same'vantage point as FIG. 3 above. In FIG. 5 the expandable wall means 32 'canbe seen to comprise a lower support member 42 which extends laterally outwardly to either side of the expandable wall means 32 to define a portion of the deadplate across which the articles can be slidably received in the manner set forth above in the lane defining grid structure of FIG. 3. Preferably, and as shown in FIG. 7, this lower support member 42 also includes spaced upwardly extending webs 44, 44. Thus, the member 42 comprises spaced L-shaped angle brackets joined by suitable means such as the base plate48. In addition, and as best shown in FIG. 7, the lower support member is further supported, at its rearward end, by posts 46, 46 and its forward end by a single post 50. All of these various members 46, 44 and 48 are preferably welded together to provide a rigid lower support for the expandable wall means 32.

Upper support is also provided for the wall means 32, and said upper support is preferably in the form of an inverted U-shaped rail 52 which extends the-length of thewall means 32 and which includes'depending legs which define a space therebetween substantially of the same dimension as the space defined between the upstanding legs on the L-shaped members 44, 44 associated with the lower support. The inverted U-shaped upper support rail 52 is also supported at its forward and rearward ends from the posts 50, and 46, 46 re spectively.

In accordance with the present invention, spaced plates of steel or other non-elastomeric resileint material are provided between the depending legs of the upper rail 52 and the upstanding legs of the L-shaped members 44, 44. Means is provided between these spaced steel plates for spreading them along a line midway between their upper and lower marginal edges, as-. sociated with the upper and lower supports described above, and preferably said means for expanding said plate in this area comprises an inflatable bladder of elastomeric material positioned between the plates mid-way between said-upper and lower marginal edges thereof and extending along a substantial portion of the longitudinal extent of said plates.

The bladder is indicated generally at 54 in the various views of sheet 2 of the drawings, and preferably comprises an elongated diaphragm which has a substan tially constant oblate section throughout its length, and which is closed at one end, preferably the end associated with the forward end of the lane defining structure, and which bladder defines an inlet at its rearward end, which inlet is provided with a fitting 56 to facilitate communicating the interior of the bladder with a source of pneumatic pressure through the line 58. Although of oblate configuration when inlfated outside of the wall means 32, the bladder or diaphragm will assume a flattened configuration when restrained between the steel plates 60 and 62. These plates are quite thin, having a modulus such that they are expandable when the bladder is'inflated, but possessing sufficient inherent resiliency as to assume a substantially vertical configuration, such as shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings,

when the bladder. is uninflated. v

While the natural resiliency of these plates might be expected to hold the diaphragm in place, said bladder extending substantially along the center line of these steel plates, it has been found that a strip of tape, with adhesive on both its sides, attached to the inwardly facing surfaces of these plates does act to further support the bladder especially when it is uninflated. The location for this tape is indicated generally by the reference numeral 64 in FIG. 6. As so constructed and arranged, it will be apparent that a pneumatic signal in the line 24 of FIG. I to the device 26, in the form of a pressure pulse, will be available to provide air under pressure in the lines 58, 58,'and to expand the central wall means 32, 32 gripping the three columns of articles in the lane defining structure of FIG. 3. Thus, the present invention can be utilized to provide a convenient brake for stopping the progress of articles in lanes as these articles are advanced by a continuously moving conventional conveyor. In the embodiment shown in the first sheet of drawings, however, the invention is especially well adapted for use in gripping a slug of articles so that the articles can be inverted, as indicated in FIG. 2.

After having been so inverted the pressure in the lines 58, 58 can be released so that the articles are allowed to drop into a packing case or the like as indicated generally at C in FIG. 2.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for handling articles in orderly columns, and comprising a plurality of lane defining longitudinally extending wall means for receiving columns of articles therebetween, certain of said lane defining wall means including laterally spaced resilient plates, said certain wall means further including upper and lower support means associated with the upper and lower marginal edges of said resilient plates for restraining said marginal edges against movement at least in a direction away from one another respectively, and an inflatable bladder of elastomeric material between said spaced plates, said bladder having a longitudinally extended configuration and being provided between said upper and lower marginal edges of said plates and extending along a substantial medial portion of said plates, and means for retaining said bladder in generally centered relationship between the plates so that said bladder is retained in position when not inflated.

2. Apparatus for handling articles in orderly columns, and comprising a plurality of lane defining longitudinally extending wall means for receiving columns of articles therebetween, certain of said lane defining wall means including spaced plates of non-elastomeric material, said spaced plate wall means further including upper and lower support means for said plates, and an inflatable bladder of elastomeric material between said spaced plates, said bladder being located between said upper and lower plate support means and extending along a substantial portion of the longitudinally extending spaced plate wall means, said lane defining means including at least one grid means for receiving a charge of upright articles from an infeed conveyor or the like, said lane defining grid means including a lower support floor associated with each column of articles to support the charge in an upright configuration, and said grid means further including means for detecting the presence of a predetermined number of articles in the lanes of said grid means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further including means for rotatably supporting said grid means for movement about an axis generally in line with the direction of movement of the articles entering said lanes.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 further including pneumatic means responsive to said detecting means for inflating said bladder to hold at least one column of articles in an associated lane of said grid means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further including second lane defining grid means mounted to said first grid means for rotation therewith, said second grid means occupying a charge receiving position when said first means is in an inverted article discharge position and said second grid means occupying said discharge position when said first grid means is in its charge receiving position.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2 further including means for dropping the charge of articles out of said grid means said charge dropping means including means for deflating said bladder to allow said charge of articles to be discharged from said grid means. 

1. Apparatus for handling articles in orderly columns, and comprising a plurality of lane defining longitudinally extending wall means for receiving columns of articles therebetween, certain of said lane defining wall means including laterally spaced resilient plates, said certain wall means further including upper and lower support means associated with the upper and lower marginal edges of said resilient plates for restraining said marginal edges against movement at least in a direction away from one another respectively, and an inflatable bladder of elastomeric material between said spaced plates, said bladder having a longitudinally extended configuration and being provided between said upper and lower marginal edges of said plates and extending along a substantial medial portion of said plates, and means for retaining said bladder in generally centered relationship between the plates so that said bladder is retained in position when not inflated.
 2. Apparatus for handling articles in orderly columns, and comprising a plurality of lane Defining longitudinally extending wall means for receiving columns of articles therebetween, certain of said lane defining wall means including spaced plates of non-elastomeric material, said spaced plate wall means further including upper and lower support means for said plates, and an inflatable bladder of elastomeric material between said spaced plates, said bladder being located between said upper and lower plate support means and extending along a substantial portion of the longitudinally extending spaced plate wall means, said lane defining means including at least one grid means for receiving a charge of upright articles from an infeed conveyor or the like, said lane defining grid means including a lower support floor associated with each column of articles to support the charge in an upright configuration, and said grid means further including means for detecting the presence of a predetermined number of articles in the lanes of said grid means.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further including means for rotatably supporting said grid means for movement about an axis generally in line with the direction of movement of the articles entering said lanes.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 further including pneumatic means responsive to said detecting means for inflating said bladder to hold at least one column of articles in an associated lane of said grid means.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further including second lane defining grid means mounted to said first grid means for rotation therewith, said second grid means occupying a charge receiving position when said first means is in an inverted article discharge position and said second grid means occupying said discharge position when said first grid means is in its charge receiving position.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 2 further including means for dropping the charge of articles out of said grid means said charge dropping means including means for deflating said bladder to allow said charge of articles to be discharged from said grid means. 